William Downs is a contemporary artist who focuses mainly on painting, drawing and printmaking.

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina

-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...

, William lives and works in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. He studied at the Atlanta College of Art and Design

Atlanta College of Art

The Atlanta College of Art , established in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1905, was the first non-profit college of visual art in the Southeastern United States....

 where he received his BFA in Painting and Printmaking in 1997. He received his MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art

Maryland Institute College of Art

Maryland Institute College of Art is an art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the first and oldest art colleges in the United States. In 2008, MICA was ranked #2 in the nation...

(MICA) in 2003.

He has had exhibitions in the United States and abroad including the Nexus Biennial at the Nexus Contemporary Art Center in Atlanta, GA; Century Gallery in London, England and Hammons House Gallery in Atlanta, GA. He has had solo exhibitions at the Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum in La Grange, Georgia and at Mission Space in Baltimore, MD.

William also teaches drawing at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.

Solo exhibitions

• 2003 Drawings, Tevis County Gallery, Westminster, MD
• 2002 Drawings 2001–2002, Mission Space, Baltimore, MD
• 1999 Broken Ladders, Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum, La Grange, GA
• 1998 Drawings, ASIS Alternative Space, Atlanta, GA
• 1998 Hands and Feet, Gallery 307, Decatur, GA
• 1997 Broken Ladders, Georgia South Western University, Fine Arts Center Gallery Americus, GA
• 1994 Etchings and Monoprints, The Equitable Building, Atlanta, GA
• 1993 Etchings, Yin and Yang Gallery, Atlanta, GA

Group exhibitions

• 2008 Untitled (On Paper), Moti Hasson Gallery, New York, NY
• 2007 Reparations, curated by Keith Miller, Stony Brook University, SAC Gallery, Stony Brook, NY
• 2007 If It Ain’t Broke, Gallery 138 (in conjunction with Stony Brook University), New York, NY
• 2006 Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day, curated by Shinique Smith, The Proposition, New York, NY

Commissions

• Fiber Webb Company, Fountain, SC
• Bob Carrington, Realtor, Atlanta, GA
• Sonia David Web Design Company, Atlanta, GA

Teaching

• Maryland Institute College of Art, Foundation Drawing I & II (2003–present)
• NAACP ACT-SO, drawing juror (2005–present)
• School 33, Drawing and Painting, Baltimore, MD (2002)
• Atlanta College of Art, Foundation Drawing I & II (1998–1999)
• Continuing Studies, Atlanta College of Art, “ How to See Drawing” (1999)

Publications

• Bowers, Jessica. “17th National Drawing and Print Competitive Exhibition,” Baltimore City Paper, April 12, 2006
• Bowers, Jessica, “Drawing No Conclusions,” Baltimore City Paper, August 6, 2003

Art Projects in Magazines/Journals

• Friends of Friends for Friends, July 2005
• Link, 2004
• Baltimore Magazine, Summer 2004
• Chela Magazine, Summer 2004
• Peek review, 2001–02
• Animal Stories Magazine, Drawings, 1998
• Freeform, cover, May 1996